Archive for May, 2008|Monthly archive page

A benchmark for minivans is whether or not they can carry a 4’x8′ piece of plywood. Presumably minivan drivers often need to do this.

What if there were web site where that allowed a neighborhood of homeowners to collectively bargain for products like lumber, gardening supplies etc., reducing delivery costs?

Users would put together a wish list of materials and open it up for bids. Sellers like Home Depot, Lowes, etc. would put together a bid, including the delivery charge. Since houses in the same subdivision often have the same construction materials, all of similar vintage, things like fences, faucets and shingles often need to be replaced at about the same time throughout an entire neighborhood.

The MyHouse concept I’ve blogged about previously could be leveraged so that neighbors could connect with other homeowners whose houses have the same material. By coordinating their purchases, they could get more competitive bids. Think of it as BIM for the masses.

Our old house had a concrete tile roof, along with all the other houses in the neighborhood. When we had a leak we found a tile had cracked and needed to be replaced. The repair man had great difficulty locating a seller that had any in stock. Likely others in the neighborhood also need tiles too.

Sure seems like this sort of neighborhood based social networking could be monetized.